Books about the Olympics, the extreme world, a time-travelling schoolgirl and a family with dark secrets are in the running for the Blue Peter book award.

Three judges have chosen a shortlist of four books – two fiction, two non-fiction – to appeal to girls and boys aged six to 12, and the final selection will now be made by more than 200 young Blue Peter viewers drawn from 10 schools across the UK.

The two fiction books in the running for the prize are The Considine Curse by Gareth P Jones and A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler. The Considine Curse is by the author of The Thornthwaite Inheritance and describes what happens when an Australian teenager visits her very strange, rather creepy English cousins after the death of their grandmother. A Year Without Autumn tells the story of 12-year-old Jenni who is flung forward in time when she takes an old elevator to visit a friend. Liz Kessler is the author of two other series, Emily Windsnap and Philippa Fisher.

In the non-fiction camp are two books packed with facts. The Official Countdown to the London 2012 Games is all about the Olympics while Discover the Extreme World opens our eyes to planet earth, from spy technology to super volcanoes.

The winner will be announced and awarded a Blue Peter trophy on a special edition of the programme dedicated to children's books on Thursday 1 March 2012, to coincide with World Book Day.

The reading and writing charity Booktrust has managed the Blue Peter Book awards since May 2008.